Success story of lentil-crop in Pakuria village of Bankura

It was about three years back, I was moving in Khatra block of Bankura district.  Khatra block & its surrounding  is a rough region, dry tracts and drought prone area in Paschimanchal.  Innovative ideas and innovative persons  normally come from most awkward terrain. In my brief stay  at Khatra, I got a pleasant call –“ Prof.Mitra would you  please visit my native village .I require some discussion on dry-land farming. I am a retired teacher, now staying in my village and doing some experiments on farming here.... “-so on. I could not refute his appeal.  I started  for Pakuria to meet  a person unknown to me.  It was a troublesome but exciting and memorable journey  from Khatra to Pakhuria. I crossed the Masak pahar- a small but exquisite hillock then the dense Kashipur jungle  and halted for a brief to enjoy the serene village of Rajagora –a tribal village. It was a joyful experience of sharing with the tribal guys. My better half-Krishna was with me. She became  close to them. I feel how simple they are. I cann’t understand how do they endure odds with smile. However,  we advanced leaving Jahala village and reached the Pakuria bus stand.  A small place indeed, surrounded by a few local stalls.  There were gatherings under a tall tree.  I found one gentleman with white clad folding an umbrella came to us :

“ hallo... i ‘m Ranjit Mallick..’m waiting for you , please come with me”.

Sooner we reached to his house.  I  pointed to a palui ( stacked paddy plants). He  said

“ i heard about Govindabhog cultivar. I brought it from Raina. It’s an excellent crop. It requires little water. See the size of straws.. these are good for thatching roof”

His  first attraction  waved my mind readily. This gentleman in his age of seventy  is full of mind-set in accepting  new ideas.  Years after years he was outside the village and was in teaching profession. After retirement he preferred to stay in his remote village.   He did not like to stay in urban areas with his son.  In his version” i must do something for my villagers. They need agricultural technology. I have started my mission here.  I know it’s a difficult task to break their inertia. But I will do to my last breadth.”

I admired his man-making and village-making vows.

With him I made a round to the Parsola Gram panchayats, We visited Lakhnshyapal mouza. Shared with many villagers. The entire area is rain-fed. Surprisingly the Kangsabati-canel is flowing by the side of village but no feeder channels are there.  The cropping system is almost  of monoculture.  Some of the cultivators grow Khasra- a local crop after paddy-harvest. Khasra is a hardy crop in dry tracts. I had a long discussion with their traditional practices.  I wanted they could harvest lentil immediate after paddy.  With brainstorming he agreed to experiment it.

The matter was brought to the notice of Prof. Gurupada Sarkar- the then Director of Research,BCKV. Thanks to Prof.Sarkar who instructed Dr.Rajib Nath to support the village and make it a cluster under ICARDA- BCKV pulse initiatives. This was the beginning of relationship between BCKV and Pakuria.

Mallick sahib whom I  now call mastermosay is a unique person. Within short period  he motivated a few to experiment lentil instead Khasra. The first year did not yield to a desired level. Crop-loss was there. No body wanted to grow lentil in the second year. I was shocked . Last year I visited the place again. The point of failure was diagnosed. All the stakeholders sowed lentil down the ponds/tanks. They irrigated as much they could. They did not believe that a crop like lentil could stand without water.  It was  clarified personally. Mastermosay was convinced and wanted to try again.

Every time I was keeping touch with him. This year seed along with capsule technology was given by Prof. Rajib Nath. I arranged seed from Dr,Nath at the door step of mastermosay. All the stakeholders under the guidance of mastermosay did as per protocol.  This time lentil smiled in Pakuria.I must acknowledge Dr.Ashutosh Sarkar0the chief architect of pulse mission of ICARDA in Paschimanchal.

Now with lentil success mastermosay  has leaped a high.  He has made a calendar  of new cropping system. He will make a system of Rice- lentil-Khasra from this very year. In a telephonic conversion he uttered “Next year I will sow early variety of paddy to exploit the situation and harvest three crops per annum”. However, I am going to sow Khasra followed by lentil.

I patted him for his  challenging experiment, innovative ideas and motivation.

Chitta Mahato & Bijoy Mahato  of Pakuria contacted me on seeing the success of lentil in dry tracts. They are willing to follow the system.   I also enquired the results of Shyam Chand mondal, Sumendranath Mondal & MonoRanjan Mahato. Chitta told me “ They have got good harvest. About one quintal per bigha  is their average yield.  They have also got market in Khatra. Local market has also demand for lentil. Un-processed lentil is being sold at Rs.50-60. We are hopeful with lentil”.